Name: Lauren Winzer
Age: 23
Location: Sydney, Australia
Age: 23
Location: Sydney, Australia
What attracted you to tattooing?
Definitely just being able to draw and create every day is the biggest part of wanting to tattoo for me. I always wanted to do concept art for animation growing up, and this is pretty much that, creating a character or image from scratch, but then as a bonus I get to put them on someone to keep.
How did you get into the industry?
I was always drawing and painting at work and at home for myself, and my partner Heath always told me to let him teach me tattoo, but with fear of being "that girlfriend' i was pretty hesitant. Eventually it just made sense in my mind that learning to tattoo would be so perfect no matter what anyone, or myself, thought before. To be able to do all these artistic things I was doing in my spare time as a job and make a living on having fun everyday was too good to pass up!
Was it hard to find an apprenticeship?
I think I'm an exception as I was lucky enough to have an amazing tattooist for a partner who was willing to share everything he knew with me, but by the sounds of it, for a good apprenticeship at least, it's pretty tough!
How many years have you been tattooing?
Around a year
What inspires you?
Heath and Spider inspire me the most. I share most of my life with those two boys and they are so different from everyone else work wise that it really pushes me to make sure I'm doing original things too. I'm also inspired a lot by Disney animations, old skateboard artwork and 90's toys and cartoons like Polly Pockets and street sharks and all that crazy shit. The ideas are just mental, I cant even begin to understand where people came up with this stuff, it makes me want to blend up all the ideas I have in my head and make some really fun bright stuff!
Who are your favourite tattoo artists?
Jon Larson, Heath Nock, Bugsy, Rose Hardy & Seth Wood.
How would you describe your tattoo style?
Hyper cute 90's pop with bright colours and traditional thick lines.
What have you learned in your time in the industry?
Be patient, work hard, be brave enough to try new things and be respectful and friendly to each person you meet.
What advice do you have to people considering careers in tattooing?
Work hard, don't steal other peoples ideas, be nice to everyone and be persistent.
What are some of the best things you have experienced as a result of your career?
Just being able to meet all these new people or people I look up to and work in their shops and sometimes even their kitchens was so much fun! I also got to meet one of my pre-teen idols from tattooing which was crazy.
Where do you currently tattoo?
Hunter & Fox in Sydney, Australia
You can find Lauren online below;